Defense Supply Center Richmond is adopting the "One Pass Pricing" (OPP) methodology in a bid to cut red tape and reduce the time it takes to deliver spare parts. The supply center is responsible for supplying more than 1.2 million repair parts to the U.S. Air Force.

Contracts without OPP typically require lengthy negotiations between the government and private industry at different locations and over the telephone, fax machines or through the mail for extended periods. "The pricing process has been bogged down for years," says Rodney Bonner, an administrator of the new program. "With the push to increase long-term contracts coverage and improve material availability, one pass pricing helps DSCR get the right items on contract quicker and improves our ability to support the warfighter."

The new collaborative process brings stakeholders together to look at supporting documentation and develop preliminary prices. The approach has proven successful with existing suppliers like Sikorsky Aircraft Company. Process days to add items to a contract were reduced from 157 to 34 days, while the associated steps decreased from 44 to 13.

"Brig. Gen. Andy Busch, DSCR commander, has emphasized the need to have items on long-term contract as a key contributor to delivering to the warfighter in the shortest time possible," says Brian Benfer, the newly appointed One Pass Pricing Program manager. Read more.